Coffin or casket clamp for hearses.



No. 674,756. Patented May 2|, 190i. P. S. HEABLER.

COFFIN 0B CASKET CLAMPFOR HEARSES.

(Application filed Mar. 29, 1901.;

2 Shaets-$heet I.

No Model.)

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No. 67%766. Patented May 21, I90.

' P. S. HEABLER.

GOFFIN 0B GASKET CLAMP FOR HEARSES.

(No Model.) (Application filed Mar. 29, 1901-1 2 sheets shoet 2- the line a a of Fig. 1.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERRY S. HEABLEB, OF ATTIOA, OHIO.

OOFFIN OR CASKET CLAMP FOR HEARSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 67 4,766, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed March 29, 1901. $erial No. 53 50 1. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PERRY S. HEABLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Attica, in the county of Seneca and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Ooffin or Oasket Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

'My invention is an improved cofiin and casket clamp for hearses, funeral-cars, and the like; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved clamp which is adapted to be used to secure either a coffin or a casket on a hearse or funeral-car and the clamping-heads of which are pivotally mounted and springpressed, and thereby adapted to adjust themselves automatically to conform to the sides-of a coffin or casket.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a casket or coffin clamp constructedin accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the clamping-heads. Fig. 4: is a similar view of the spring-pressed arm thereof. Fig. 5 is a similar view of one of the traveling nuts. Fig. 6 is a detail top plan view of the same. Fig. 7 is an inverted plan view of the arm shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on a plane indicated by Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view of the operating-shaft.

The floor 1 of the hearse or funeral-car is provided with the usual antifriction-rollers 2 3 and is provided with transversely-disposed slots 4:, which are in line with each other. The clamp-heads 5 are provided at their centers with depending pivotal shafts 6, which operate in the slots 4, the said clampheads being disposed above the floor 1 and being either of the form here shownor of any other suitable form and preferably provided on their engaging inner sides with rubber or other suitable buffers 6'. Each of the said pivotal shafts 6 in the form of my invention here shown has an angular portion 7 to fit an angular opening 8 in an arm 9. A shaft 10 is disposed transversely under the floor 1 in line with the slots 4, is mounted in suitable bearings 11, and is provided with rebearings, as at 16 17, and the rear end thereof is provided with an extensible section 18, spiined thereon, as at 19, and said section 18 has at its rear end a crank-handle 20. When the section 18 is moved inward on the fixed section 15, the crank-handle is disposed under the bottom of the hearse or funeral-car, is out of sight, and is by the bottom prevented from rotating. Said section 18 may, however, be drawn outward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to free the crank 20 and permit the rotation thereof.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the screw-shaft 10 may be rotated by turning the crankshaft 15.

On the oppositely threaded portions of screw-shaft 10 are a pair of traveling nuts 21, each of which has an arm 22. The lower ends of the pivotal shafts 6 of clamp-heads 5 are pivoted in said arms 22, and the latter are provided on their upper sides with radial engaging stops or shoulders 23. The arms 9 bear on the said arms 22 of the traveling nuts and are provided on their under sides with radial stops 24, which coact with the stops 23 to limit the movement of said arms 9, and hence of the pivoted clamping-heads. Each arm 22 has on its upper side a stop 25, against which the arm 9 bears when the clamp-head is disposed at right angles to the screw-shaft, and each traveling nut is provided with a spring 26, which normally by engagement with the arm 9 retains the latter in the position last described. Owing to the fact that the clamp-heads are pivotally mounted the same when used for clamping a coffin with converging sides are adapted to turn on their pivots and adjust themselves to the sides of the coffin, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Then the clamp is used for securing a casket with parallel sides in place, the normal parallel disposition of the clamping-heads adapts the latter to readily engage the sides of the casket. It will be understood that the screw shaft by means of the reverse disposition of the screw-threads thereon will serve when the screw-shaf t is appropriately rotated to move the clamp-heads toward or from each other in order to engage or release a coffin or casket. To the lower end of each of the pivotal shafts 6 is screwed a nut 27, which secures said shaft, and hence the clampinghead attached thereto, pivotally on the arm of one of the traveling nuts.

Having thus described my invention, I.

- for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

2. A hearse or funeral-car having a longitudinally-disposed shaft under the floor thereof provided with an extensible section having a crank, a screw-shaft having reverselydisposed threads at opposite ends, gears connecting said shafts together, traveling nuts on said screw-shafts, clamp-heads pivotally connected to and carried by said traveling nuts, and coacting springs and stops to normally dispose said clamp-heads in parallel relation to each other, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a revoluble screwshaft having oppositelydisposed threads, traveling nuts engaged by said screw-shaft said nuts having the stops 25, clamp-heads having pivotal shafts mounted in said travcling nuts, arms 9 on said shafts, and springs carried by said traveling nuts, the said springs engaging said arms and normally keeping the same in engagement with said stops, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PERRY S. HEAB LER.

Witnesses:

ALVA SUTTON, OHAs. O. SUTTON. 

